Ain’t I a human? Look at me! Look at my arms and legs! I have breath in my lungs, blood in my veins, and a tongue in my mouth. Ain’t I a human? I can shave my legs and cut my hair. I can hide my chest and deny my femininity, yet when you look at me you can only see my biology. I’m so sick and tired of the binary and gender vs sex rubbish. Y’all keep denying my identity. I’m not just a woman. I’m not just a man. Can I be a human? Ain’t I a human? She, he, they. It changes every day. Ain’t I a human?
In 1851 the first women's convention was held in Akron, Ohio. Here the challenge was not only to fight for the right to vote for white women but for women of color as well. It was not the first time Isabella Baumfree took to a stage, she was an itinerant preacher, and she was no stranger to public speaking. But this was not Isabella Baumfree, it was Sojourner Truth. It was on this day that Sojourner went down in history with her powerful speech we now know as "Ain't I a woman?".
She was not meant to speak; she approached the president with a firm posture and gentle eyes and asked, "May I say a few words?". She then went on to say speech historians are now wondering if it is the same one we have made so popular. The biggest difference would be that in the speech we now believe to be the original she never said the words "Ain't I a woman?". She was a New Yorker, she would not have had a southern accent, and we now know her speech was changed by someone 12 years later.
When comparing what we believe to be her original speech with the modified one, the original gives you a better impression of Truth. She speaks with the same eloquence she carried herself with. While she did not know how to read or write it did not take away from her intellect. She makes the rhetorical question "Ain't I a woman?" which we can interpret in a few different ways. It was more than just sexism and racism; it was also about classism and hypocrisy.
She starts off the speech by talking about how people all over the country are talking about rights. This grabs her attention as a black woman who had been enslaved for most of her life. She moves on to describe how she sees men treat white women. How courteous these gentlemen are with white women. All of which makes her wonder if they even see her as a woman. Not only has she worked more than a white man, but she has also suffered and fought more than any white man, yet she is still seen as less than others. She expresses how she is just as smart and just as strong as anyone else, especially any white man. Truth goes on to reference biblical text and mentions how women can overturn history by using Eve, from Adam and Eve, and Mary, the mother of Jesus as examples. She finishes the speech by asking the people present to do something about the inequality they are facing.
While this might not be the original speech, the point remains "am I not a woman for being black?" and "am I not woman enough to be equal?". This speech is, sadly, still truly relevant given that women, especially black women, and women of color, still face discrimination and hold fewer rights than men. This highly intelligent woman spoke to change the course of history. We should all be smart enough to listen.
